8 Kitchen Essentials I Can't Live Without

Sometimes I forget that there are some of you just starting to learn how to cook; or just starting to think about what kitchen/pantry/cooking essentials to have on hand; or just moving in to your first apartment. And unless you grew up with Martha Stewart as your mom, this wouldn't be second nature to you. It's definitely taken me some years to perfect my kitchen essentials and find my favorites.I've narrowed down my top 8 kitchen essentials that I can't live without.A pepper grinder. There's nothing like fresh ingredients when you are cooking. And grinding my own pepper can sometimes feel therapeutic. The flavor is much more intense too.Olive oil. I tend to cook most everything with it. I drizzle it on veggies before roasting them in the oven and to make salad dressings.A utensil jar. Keep your most used tools in a jar for easy access. See some of my favorite cook tools below.Butter. When cooking, I always reach for the unsalted butter. This way I can control my salt when seasoning a dish. But for brunches and bread, I always have European-style salted butter on hand. Try it on a fresh French baguette or toast. So good.Teas. Mariage Frères and Ladurée are my absolute favorite and the containers are too pretty to be kept hidden in my pantry. I keep them handy for easy access when I need that afternoon pick-me-up or for when unexpected guests arrive.Truffle oil. It's way cheaper than truffles and it's a good way to add a layer of flavor to food. Drizzle it over fried eggs during your weekend brunch, on mushroom risotto, pastas, on homemade fries, or mashed potatoes.Finishing salt. The most common to me are sea salt or fleur de sel. Finishing salts tend to enhance the flavor of the dish. Once the food is plated, I'll sprinkle some finishing salt to the dish, or have my guests do it themselves. My favorite place to find salts is from March. Their pretty glass jars are a definite bonus.Kosher salt. If you don't cook with coarse Kosher salt, then you aren't a real cook. Ok, that may not be the case, but I definitely prefer the flavor of coarse Kosher salt over regular table salt. For a salt 101 lesson, refer to this guide from Martha Stewart.Additional:Favorite Cook tools. Wooden spoons, silicone spatulas, a whisk, a ladle, a deep spoon, a skimmer, microplane grater, candy thermometer, food processor, and a wood board.

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